RES-2000-042 Resolution Supporting House Bill 1396 Amending the NC Constitution Recognizing Healthcare as a Fundamental Right of All Residents

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Alk Sb ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING HOUSE BILL 1396 AN AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION OF NORTH CAROLINA TO RECOGNIZE HEALTH CARE AS A FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT OF ALL RESIDENTS. WHEREAS,Representative Verla Insko introduced House Bill 1396 into the General Assembly of North Carolina, Session 1999 - 2000, to amend the Constitution of North Carolina, as follows: See. 38. Health Care (1)Basic right. Health care is an essential safeguard of human life, and there is an obligation for the state to ensure that every resident is able to obtain this fundamental right. No later than May 31, 2004, the General Assembly shall provide by law a plan that enables every resident of the State to obtain appropriate health care on a regular basis. (2)No money damages; other enforcement. Nothing in this section shall be construed as creating a claim for monetary damages against the State, a county, a municipality, or any of the agencies, instrumentalities, or employees thereof. The General Assembly may provide for other remedies to ensure adequate enforcement of this section. WHEREAS, 15% of North Carolinas population, or over a million people, are without health insurance and this number has increased 57% over the last seven years which is a growth rate two to three times greater than the national average, and WHEREAS, 74% of uninsured adults in North Carolina are employed, and the majority of these lack coverage because their employer does not offer a health benefit or, if they do, it is too costly, and WHEREAS, research has demonstrated that the uninsured, even those who are sick, chronically ill, or have special health care needs, get less health care than those who have insurance and are more likely to delay getting the care they need and less likely to use preventative services, and WHEREAS, Medicare does not currently cover prescription medications and the average out-of- pocket spending for health care of a typical elderly person is 23% of their income, and WHEREAS, 30% of those financially eligible for Medicaid are not covered because of other restrictions, and WHEREAS,the United States is the only industrialized nation in the world that does not provide health care for all its citizens, and HEREAS,European countries, including the countries that have a multi-payer system, spend less than 10% of their Gross Domestic Product on health care, compared to 14% spent by United States citizens, and WHEREAS, a majority of citizens in the United States and in North Carolina believe that every citizen should have access to health care on a regular basis, and